'Unacceptable': Japan condemns Trump's Hiroshima comparison to Iran strikes; demands retraction
Donald Trump (AP photo)
Japan has strongly criticised US President Donald Trump for comparing the recent American military strikes on Iran to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II.
"That hit ended the war," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. "I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing."
The comparison has drawn backlash across Japan, which remains the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks. The bombings in August 1945 killed about 140,000 people, and survivors continue to live with long-term health issues and trauma.
Nagasaki mayor Shiro Suzuki responded to Trump's comment, saying, "If Trump's comments justifies the dropping of the atomic bomb, it is extremely regrettable for us as a city that was bombed."
Atomic bomb survivor and co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning advocacy group Nihon Hidankyo, Mimaki Toshiyuki, also criticised Trump, saying the remarks were "unacceptable", as quoted by BBC via Japanese public broadcaster NHK.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Livguard Lithium-X: The Future of Power Backup
Livguard
Learn More
Undo
"I'm really disappointed. All I have is anger," added Teruko Yokoyama, another member of Nihon Hidankyo, speaking to Kyodo News.
In response, survivors and citizens in Hiroshima held a protest on Thursday demanding that Trump retract his statement. Hiroshima lawmakers also passed a resolution rejecting any statement that justifies the use of nuclear weapons and called for all armed conflicts to be resolved peacefully.
When asked if Japan would formally lodge a complaint, chief cabinet secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa stated that "Japan has repeatedly expressed its position on atomic bombs to Washington."
Trump's controversial remarks came as he pushed back against a leaked US intelligence assessment which suggested that recent strikes on Iranian nuclear sites only delayed their programme by a few months.
Trump countered that the US attacks "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capabilities and set them back "decades" - a claim also supported by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
The legacy of Hiroshima remains central to Japan's anti-nuclear stance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Newsom sues Fox News for $787 million over Trump call defamation
Fox News is set to defend itself against California Governor Gavin Newsom's $787 million defamation lawsuit, labeling it a 'frivolous publicity stunt' aimed at stifling critical speech. Newsom alleges that Fox News knowingly spread false claims about a phone call he had with President Donald Trump during an immigration enforcement period. The network's segment, featuring host Jesse Watters, claimed Newsom lied about the timing of their conversation, prompting the governor to seek damages for alleged damage to his reputation. The complaint, filed on Friday in Delaware Superior Court, says Fox News acted with 'actual malice' by airing a misleading segment that accused Newsom of lying about the timing of his last conversation with Trump. The amount of damages sought is the same as the $787.5 million Fox paid in 2023 to settle a separate defamation case with Dominion Voting Systems. Newsom, a Democrat, said he spoke with Trump late on June 6 or early June 7 after federal immigration raids led to protests in Los Angeles. Days later, Trump sent National Guard troops and 700 Marines to California without consulting the governor. On June 10, Trump told reporters he had spoken to Newsom 'a day ago,' which Newsom denies. He says there was no further contact after the initial call. Despite this, Fox News aired a segment on 10 June in which host Jesse Watters said, 'Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him?' according to the lawsuit. The show also included a banner on screen saying 'Gavin Lied About Trump's Call.' According to the complaint, this was part of an effort to damage Newsom's reputation and support Trump. The lawsuit argues that the claims were 'calculated to provoke outrage and cause Governor Newsom significant harm,' by reducing support for his policies and political future. Newsom is also seeking compensatory damages and has said, according to The New York Times, he would drop the case if Fox issued a retraction and Watters apologised on air. Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters reported. Newsom's office also did not comment. To win the case, Newsom will need to prove Fox acted with 'actual malice' that it either knew the information was false or showed reckless disregard for the truth. This legal standard comes from a 1964 US Supreme Court decision, New York Times vs Sullivan. President Trump has also brought defamation claims in recent years. He reached a $15 million settlement with ABC last December after a report wrongly said he was found liable for rape in a civil trial. He also sued CBS for $20 billion over how it edited a '60 Minutes' interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. A mediator has reportedly suggested CBS parent company Paramount pay $20 million to settle.
The Wire
22 minutes ago
- The Wire
China, US Confirm Details of Trade Deal Framework
The US will lift 'restrictive measures against China', and the latter will 'approve applications for the export control items', per China. The US will lift 'restrictive measures against China', and the latter will 'approve applications for the export control items', per China. Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support . China's commerce ministry on Friday (June 27) announced that Beijing and Washington had confirmed the details of a trade deal framework that the two countries had agreed upon earlier this month following talks in London. According to the statement from the ministry, Washington will lift "restrictive measures against China", and Beijing will "review and approve applications for the export control items". Late Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States and China had signed a trade agreement and that he expects to soon reach a deal with India. "We just signed with China the other day," Trump said. Advertisement Meanwhile, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg TV that the deal was "signed and sealed" two days earlier. No details about the agreement were provided by either Lutnick or Trump. "The president likes to close these deals himself," Lutnick said. Advertisement Also on Thursday, a White House official announced that the US had reached an agreement with China on how to expedite shipments of rare earth materials to the US. What do we know about US-China trade talks? The announcement by the US and China follows initial talks in Geneva in early May, which led both sides to postpone massive tariff hikes that threatened to halt much of the trade between the two countries. Later talks in London set a framework for negotiations, and the deal Trump and the Chinese commerce ministry mentioned appeared to formalise that agreement. Ensuring the supply of rare earth elements – essential for products including electric vehicles, hard drives and national defence equipment – has been a top priority for Washington in talks with Beijing. In early April, China – which dominates global production of these elements – began requiring export licenses, a move widely viewed as a response to Trump's tariffs. Shares in Europe and Asia rose as investors assessed signs of easing trade tensions between the US and China. Chinese foreign minister to visit EU, Germany, France next week On Friday, Beijing also announced that Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi will travel to Europe next week to meet with his counterparts from the European Union, Germany and France. China's top diplomat will meet with his EU counterpart, Kaja Kallas, at the bloc's headquarters in Brussels for a "China-EU high-level strategic dialogue", said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun. In Germany, Wang will discuss diplomacy and security with foreign minister Johann Wadephul, and in France, he will meet with minister for Europe and foreign affairs Jean-Noel Barrot. While in Brussels, Wang will also meet with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Maxime Prevot. This article was originally published on DW. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
United News of India
25 minutes ago
- United News of India
Iran's enriched uranium stockpile at Fordo was relocated ahead of US airstrikes: reports
Tehran, June 27 (UNI) Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was reportedly relocated from its key Fordo facility ahead of the June 22 US airstrikes, according to preliminary intelligence assessments shared by European officials, the Financial Times reported on Friday. The move, if confirmed, would suggest that Iran retained much of its 408kg stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity — close to weapons-grade — despite US President Donald Trump's assertion that the strikes had 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program, as per Iran International. EU officials cited by the FT said Iran's stockpile was likely distributed across multiple sites and not concentrated at Fordo at the time of the attack. One early intelligence report indicated 'extensive damages, but not full structural destruction' at the underground Fordo facility near Qom. The US has not provided definitive intelligence to European allies on the current status of Iran's nuclear capabilities, and Washington's future diplomatic direction remains unclear, EU officials told the FT. Talks between European ministers and Iranian officials had taken place just before the strikes, but follow-up diplomacy is stalled. 'We're in a volatile place where the E3 is waiting on the US, who appear to themselves be waiting on the Israelis.' Israeli intelligence officials had earlier said that Iran's stockpile of highly-enriched uranium was trapped below ground by attacks during its 12-day conflict with Israel and the United States, and while possibly still intact, it would also not be possible to move it, as Tel Aviv and Washington will pick up any attempts to recover it.
